Safety First – make “Up and Away” your mantra!

June 25th, 2013

please click on the infographic to view it full size

June is National Safety Month and the CDC, along with the PROTECT Initiative, of which the CHPA Educational Foundation is a member, launched the #MedsUpAway program. We are continuing the conversation on Safe Medicine Storage. I joined the OTC Safety Ambassador program for many reasons, but mostly because I am a mom who is all too guilty of being lax when it comes to safe medicine storage. You would think, as a nurse, who has seen one too many cases of accidents related to medications, I would be the MOST careful. I imagine my own relaxed attitude is one that many share, similar to that of a snug fit car seat belt, or hand-washing hygiene, which is another story for another time.

please click on the infographic to view it full size

But the facts are staggering, over 80% of emergency room visits are for medication overdoses among children under the age of 12. Thinking of children under the age of 12, it makes total sense. I see my children’s love of their gummy vitamins and how they don’t see it as anything more than a snack. I have more than once seen them, being ever so resourceful, finding anything they can use to climb and grab it down from the top shelf. Luckily it has a child proof “push down and turn” cap. I know all too well my ever persistent children and their penchant for figuring out ways to get around things, just to get what they want. That’s why it’s super important to store your medications Up and Away. If your children are like mine, even putting a lock on medications may be necessary.

As I mentioned in my previous post, we were guilty of leaving daily medications right out on our counter top to remind ourselves we needed to take them. This little infographic to the right has some GREAT tips on how to remember while keeping your medications Up and Away! For my family, I also utilize my alarm app on my phone to remind me when medications need to be administered as well as administering a bulk of them at the same time, first thing in the morning. How do you remind your family when to take their medications while keeping your medications up and away? Please share with us at #MedsUpAway.

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Suzanne is student, daughter, wife, (labor & delivery) certified registered nurse, certified lactation counselor, friend, entrepreneur and blogger – but the job she's most proud of is mother… She shares her journey on this blog and The Disney Files.
Read more about her here.